TBI Lists Most Popular Game Shows in 2009

Don’t we all love lists?  Well, not really, but this one’s pretty interesting.  Television Business International recently compiled a list of the ten most popular game show formats of 2009.  This wasn’t based on their personal favorites or what the few random readers chose in a poll.  This is all based off of which shows got the most eyeballs around the globe last year.  A lot of the choices aren’t surprises at all, but a few are really shocking.

Coming in at number one is actually Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  I expected it to be Deal or No Deal after the huge few years it had across the globe, but apparently not.  This year was really interesting for Millionaire.  It’s the year the movie Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture at the Oscars, which definitely rose more awareness about it.  It’s also the year you could sense some age on the format and basically every country around the globe changed the format.  The norm these days is either the British 12 question format, the US clock format, or the Australian Hot Seat format.  The show was apparently the runaway winner this year.

Number two was indeed Deal or No Deal.  This also seemed to be the year that format showed some age.  Really…how long could a format as simplistic as this go without being changed?  Interesting, essentially all the US style versions of Deal around the globe are starting to dwindle away but the more original, location-specific versions are doing better.  Even the Australian version is changing when the new season starts on February 1st to try to battle Hot Seat.

Number three was one of my personal favorites: Wipeout.  It’s definitely a guilty pleasure that exploded around the globe, and has every right to.  It’s fun “turn-off-your-brain” viewing.  Number four is Wheel of Fortune which somehow, after all these years, is still knocking everyone else out of the park in ratings.  Five is Family Feud, still going pretty strong here and goes through yet another transition in 2010, with Steve Harvey becoming host.  Six is Don’t Forget the Lyrics, seven is somehow Hole in the Wall which blows me away, and eight is Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? which beyond my best wishes has turned into a very enjoyable daytime quiz.  Number nine went to Jeopardy! which keeps going nicely despite no major stunts or twists like every other show, and in the final ten spot is something I’ve never heard of: I Love My Country.  Anyone have any idea what this is?  Again, here’s the list.  How do we feel about it?  Agree or would you make some changes?

1. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? ITV (UK) 1998 Sony Pictures TV
2. Deal or No Deal Nederland 2 2002 Endemol
3. Wipeout ABC (US) 2008 Endemol
4. Wheel of Fortune NBC (US) 1975 CBS Studios International
5. Family Feud ABC (US) 1976 FremantleMedia
6. Don’t Forget The Lyrics Fox (US) 2007 RDF Rights
7. Hole in the Wall Fox (US) 2008 FremantleMedia
8. Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Fox (US) 2007 Mark Burnett Prods
9. Jeopardy NBC (US) 1964 CBS Studios International
10. I Love My Country RTL4 (Netherlands) 2008 Talpa Media

Photo courtesy of Valleycrest Productions Ltd.